We’re celebrating World Wide Knit in Public Day in two ways this year - with a sale and with a party!

World Wide Knit in Public Day (WWKIP Day) began in 2005 as a way to bring knitters and crocheters away from what is often a solitary craft and into contact with one another. For some, it has also become a way to show the world the many faces of knitting and crocheting and to promote awareness of the crafts. This year WWKIP Day is Saturday, June 14. Knitters and crocheters around the world will gather to celebrate.

At our WWKIP Day Sale you’ll save from 15% to 30% on selected cotton, linen and silk yarns.

Here’s just some of what you’ll find -

15% off Lorna’s Laces Helen’s Lace - reg. $56, now $47.60

25% off Sublime’s Organic Cotton - reg. $8, now $6

30% off Alchemy Silken Straw Solids - reg. $26, now $18.20

The sale ends Sunday, June 15.

On Saturday, we’re taking our chairs to the sidewalk and inviting you to join us! Use one of our chairs or bring your own and sit, knit, stitch and have fun! (If it’s too hot or if it rains, we’ll gather inside!)

We hope to see you!

The small print: This sale is for merchandise purchased in our Philadelphia store only. No price adjustments or rainchecks. Items purchased on sale may not be returned or exchanged.

Philadelphia’s 2nd Annual Stitch N’ Pitch is Tuesday, August 5 at 7:05 pm. Bring your knitting, your crochet, your needlepoint or embroidery, your family and friends, and join us at Citizens Bank Park for an evening of needlearts and baseball!

Tickets are available through the Phillies website. We’re out of the sun and into the shade on the 3rd base side this time! The first 1000 people to purchase tickets will receive a free Stitch N’ Pitch tote bag to carry their summer projects.

I hope you’ll join us for the needlearts event of the summer!

We had a wonderful time last night with Clara Parkes. You could tell from the number of people who came with their own copy of The Knitter’s Book of Yarn just how popular it is. Unlike some books that you love at first, but then sit on your shelf, this is one you’ll come back to again and again.

Clara signed lots of books. Here she is (seated) with Marth.

And here’s Clara with Mindy and Lisa. Clara’s class this morning is full, but she’ll be in the shop for a little while if you’d still like to meet her.

This Thursday, February 28 is the second meeting of our 2008 Knit-the-Almanac Knit-Along. We’re knitting our way through Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitter’s Almanac - though not necessarily in order!

Like a few others, I started with July’s Pi Shawl. It’s a clever, of course, and fairly simple shawl that can be knit in almost anything. I’m using Sheep Shop Yarn’s Sheep 3, which I think is one of the best yarns on the market. It’s a blend of silk and wool so it has great shine, it’s plied which gives it depth and makes it wear well, and it works up at a very knittable and wearable 5-6 stitches per inch. Oh - and the colors are gorgeous and don’t pool.

If, however, you want to knit the almanac in order - which Kathy H. is doing - then February is Some Babies’ Things. This chapter includes the very beautiful Baby Jacket.

The Knit-Along is not a class, just a time to knit together. There’s no fee and no need to reserve a spot. Just come on down. Hope to see you!

Beth Brown Reinsel patiently led us into new knitting territory last weekend.

We learned to knit English and to knit Continental, we knit with 2 colors, we purled with the yarn in back, we twisted and twined!

Beth guided us and encouraged us.

She demonstrated and explained. And explained again!

These are the in-progress hats from the Fair Isle Tams class. Look at those colors!

It was fun and challenging and frustrating and rewarding. And in the end, Beth was congratulating us on our accomplishments and we were thanking her for her guidance. It was good to stretch our knitting muscles, even if we were a little sore.

To all who asked - yes, Beth will return next year. Until then, keep knitting!

“…I can knit. I knit all year, day in, day out. It is my passion, and I rarely knit the same thing twice the same way. Here, then, is a knitter’s almanac; a monthly record of the changing year in the light of my amiable craft.”
- Elizabeth Zimmerman, Knitter’s Almanac

And so begins Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitter’s Almanac. The Almanac contains patterns for pullovers, cardigans, blankets, mittens, hats, socks, shawls and more. At the beginning of every year there’s talk of knitting the almanac, but this is the first year that someone - in this case Elizabeth - stepped forward and decided to do it. Kathy H. joined in, so we’ve made it an official event.

Join us on the 4th Thursday of every month from 6 to 8 p.m. and knit the almanac. Start with any month you like and knit whichever projects you want. This is not a class, just a fun way to share and to encourage one another.

We hope you’ll join us!

After weeks of knitting and crocheting, the time is approaching to deliver our hand made gifts. We hope you enjoy this special time with your family and friends.

Loop will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, December 24 and 25. We’ll re-open on Wednesday, December 26.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Sheep Shop Yarn Company has sent us one of the best trunk shows we’ve ever seen. There are hats, scarves, mittens, pullovers, cardigans, vests, shawls, felted wallets and purses, blankets, and a gorgeous afghan. There are items for babies, kids, women and men. We rarely receive so many items, let alone so many this beautiful!

We carry two of Sheep Shop’s yarns. Sheep Shop One Yarn is a worsted weight kettle-dyed single wool ply. There are nearly solids and multi-colors. Unlike other wool singles, Sheep Shop One doesn’t vary in thickness, so you don’t have random sections of very thick or very thin yarn. And the bright, clear colors come in a broad spectrum.

We also have Sheep Shop Three Yarn, one of 2007’s most exciting new yarns. A fabulous blend of silk and wool, Sheep Shop Three is a two-ply that knits well at anywhere from 5 to 6.5 stitches per inch. The trunk show includes several pieces for babies that would make gorgeous, modern heirloom gifts.

This week we’ll receive a shipment of Sheep Shop Two a super soft chunky two-ply. Wait until you see the cool vests and sweaters in this fun, thick yarn.

The Sheep Shop trunk show will only be here until the end of the year, so stop in soon to take a look!

Thank you for shopping at Loop, for telling your friends about us, for coming to our events, and for sharing your knitting and crocheting with us. You inspire us to create an oasis of color, texture and creativity where you can escape the demands of everyday life and enjoy your craft. We hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends!

Loop will be open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Friday, November 23 through Sunday, December 23. Come see all the wonderful winter possibilities!

We had a blast with Susan B. Anderson when she came to the shop earlier this month. She’s funny, energetic, and possesses a seemingly limitless excitement for knitting for kids. Everyone loved the sweaters, pillows, blankets, and toys from her book Itty Bitty Nursery.

Lots of folks brought their kids, which made this event especially fun. Nicole drove 2 hours to meet Susan. She had her daughter Maeve with her, whose the youngest of her 8 kids (there’s a picture of the whole family on her blog)! Just imagine the holiday knitting list! Maeve is wearing a hat that Nicole knit from Susan’s first book, Itty Bitty Hats.

I need to thank Susan’s sister Dawn for the great photographs. She and Susan are like two peas in a pod and great fun. I wish we’d had more time to spend together. You can see more of the pictures she took and read about Dawn’s celebrity sightings in New York on Susan’s blog.

Susan and I discussed her returning to Loop after her next book is published to teach some classes. Until then, there are still a few autographed copies of Itty Bitty Nursery in the shop for those of you who missed her and want to knit some of her designs.